Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-08-11

No" said the pale young man, sadly,
Il am not working on farm for my
health now"
sis that so ?''
Yes. have come away and the farm
which knew me would perhaps know me
set if it could get sight of me, but it
can't
al went out. you know. by the advice of
a physician. Said he: You need out
door exercise, and. above all, sleeps such
long. quiet nights, sleep as you can only
find in the country. away from the morse
and heat OF the city with the great open
windows ard the cool and velvety bre' re
floating through your room all night long
with perhaps al occasional night with the
gathering rain upon the roof to lull you 10
sleep That's what the physician said.
so hired out TO farmer TO work all
summer. He said | was so white and
pale hat he couldn't give me anything
hut nv board for nv services, but if
wanted to work for that might climb in
behind the seat and ride out.
$50 DID He had one mule and one
horse, and the mule baked every time we
went up hlli and the horse every time we
went down hill, and they both tried to
run away on the level. He drove them
with trace chain tied on a white ash ak
helve.
but we get out there at last. don't
want to tell you anything about the work
today haven't time-but | feel as if
must say something about those long
nights sleep.
The first night we got home late, but
still the sun was only nicely down. The
sun sets about two hours later out there
than anywhere else in the known world.
After supper, the farmer spent one
hour and a half telling me about the fax
crop on the back forty, and then he reck-
oned we better milk. There were II
cows, and he said that each would take
six. tie gave me the kickers, and it took
me two hours. and it had been dark long
time when | finished. Then he had me
pump up water for the next day, and II
took 40 minutes. Then | filled the wood
box and split the kindIing wood. And. as
it was big box, it took 80 minutes. Then
he told me about the oat crop, which TOOK
an hour. And when went TO bed it was
growing light in the east"
The window in my room was pane
of glass nailed over an irregular hole ir
The boards and could not be opened.
felt around in the dim light and finally go
into bed. had just fallen asleep and hac
Just begun to dream | was lying along the
ridgepole of double bumped camel
when the farmer pounded on the stairs
with an old broomsick and said break as
was ready. | couldn't see as it was any
| lighter than when | went to bed, though
the sky in the east was a little redder."
II will pass over the day for ii is painful
o recall Or rather the day ard the las
end of one night and first end of another
for we were in the hay field l6 hours.
And that evening alter supper he sale
might throw the dirt out Of new cellal
while | rested.
eight cows instead of six-all kickers
And one of them was hooker too, anc
slammed me through the corn crib.
81 got to bed an hour sooner than the
night before because he SAID he wa:
thinking some of getting up early the
next morning.
"And that night it rained, and | heart
the pleasant patter Of the rain on the root
hat that old fraud of doctor spoke
about But it didn't lull me % sleep, be
cause it leaked down on me and got the
led clothes all wet, and caught cold.
| And when the farmer pounded on the
stairs got up and looked at my watcl
and | had been abed an hour and forty
minutes. And my clothes were wet ant
| there was water in my shoes.
But it was good day and we WORKED
at the hay again. We moved down wha
the farmer called 'slalher' of it An'
that night after had rested awhile on thu
cellar and MIXED the twelve cows
| twelve understand one OF them though
I was trying to kidnap her calf and chase,
me cut out of the yard-ihe farmer SAT-
1t looked like rain again and he reckone'
we'd better 60 out and cock up that ba
before bedtime.
And before we got to the field | say
the morning star. and when had got u
Il lunches of hay and the old hypocrit
of q farmer four, / heard a lark. The
when had up "a lunches ard the farme
six, it began to grow quite light.
when the farmer saw it he laid dow
on the hay and laughed for 10 minutes
He said we bad worked right through tn
night without knowing it.
But had known more about it than h
thought had
I'VE worked an hour longer, and thel
we went to the house and MIXED. Break
fast wasn't quite ready, and | threw
couple Of cubic yards of sand out of tn
bottom of that cellar.
And while were eating the farmer toll,
me to hurry. because he would like to ge
in one full days work during haying.
said that would, too, and that | woul'
stop and 60 out and harness the horse
And he said that was business, and wen
out and ran down the road and walked in
| to town,
And now am locking for that oil
liar of physician and surgeon who tol'
me about the long nights sleep | woul'
! MI agr al